Automobile signal



`Earn. 2, 923. 1,440,629

W. M. REASON. AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL. FILED FeaA 10. 1922.'

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INVENTOR. ig?) h//ef/f @aso/7.

TTDRNE Y.

Patented aian. 2, i923.

istil-996.2

'garant risiewiiirrnn `ivi. nniisoii, or Poitrine, MICHIGAN;

Atrroivionrnn sieur-in Application led February 10, 1992. Serialv No. 535,444.

To aZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that L' WALTER M. REASON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pontiac, county of akland, State oi*I Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automobile Signals, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specilication.

'This invention relates to automobile stop signals and the object of the invention is to provide a stop signal forfthe rear of an automobile .which is operated by a single electric light. Another object of the invention is to provide an automobile stopsignal formed integral. with an automobile tail lamp the device being also arranged tor use as a parking light. A further. object of the invention is to provide a red tail lamp which is illuminated by the electric lamp, the casing for the tail lamp having an. upper portion provided with a green light and a stoplight, a vertically movable mirror being provided within the casing which is adapted to be operated by a foot brake to reflect light from the incandescent bulb through the green or stop lights. A further object ol the inventionis to provide a stop light comprising a movable mirror mounted in such a manner thatthe mirror shuts off the light from the portion of the casing thereabove. A still further object of the invention to provide a combination tail light, license light, stop light and parking light including a vertically movable mirror which is adapted to be moved upwardly to expose and illuminate the diEerent signals, themirror in its uppermost position exposing and illuminating all the signals, the device being arranged to be held in such' position when the vehicle is parked.` These objects and the several novel features of the invention are hereinafter more ullyvdescribed and claimed and Fig. 2 is a section therethrough showingthe mirror in the lowerniost position. l

Fig. 3 is a side elevation oi the device. Fig. A is a section similar to n ig. 2 showing the means -for moving the mirror vertically. i l n p v A s shown in Fig. 1 a casing 1 is provided having a sleeve2 welded in one side thereof asshown in Fig. 2 in which anelectric lamp socket 8 is mounted which is providedwith an incandescent electric bulb A positioned centrally behind the red lens 5 shown in Fig. 1. The lens 5 is mounted ina member 6 shown in Figs. 1 and 3 which is secured in the casing; rFlic casingl as shown in'F ig. 3 is provided with an arcuate slot 7 directly beneath the incandescent bulb l and the slot 7 is closed by an arcuate transparent member 8 either of-celluloid or glass through which a license plate on the bracket 9 may be illuminated. @n the upper part of the casing a `member 10 is secured by the screws y11 as shown in Fig. 1 and this member 10 carries a green glass 12 and a red glassi` directly above having the word Stop embossed thereon. The casing 1 is provided with a bracket 1A as shown in Fig. 3 which is adaptedto fit over-the license bracket 9 of an automobile and is secured thereto by `al lset screw 15. A pair ofbrackets 16 and 17 and is provided with a short arm 22 and a longer ain 23 as will `be seen .more readily iii Fig. 1l. Alcable or cord 24 is connected lto thesliort arm of the bell crank andy passes through a small sleeve or tube 25 and is connected at the opposite end. to the brake pedal 26 as shown in Fig. T he long arm 23 of the bell crank is providedy Iwith a rod or pitinan 27 pivotally mounted in theend thereof and this rod 27 as shownin dotted llines in Fig. 3 extends upwardly and is provided with a bent end 28 which is pivotally mounted in a bracket 29 provided on ythe back'ot an angularly positioned mirror vd0,` This mirror 80 is provided with a lug 32 at each end which is apertured to receive the guide rods 18 and 19. By this arrangement as the lmirror is provided with guides on each' side to receive the guide 'rods and with the angular bracket 29 to receive the bent rod end 28 the mirror is always held at the same angle kwithinthecasing when'moved vermal operation of the vehicle When the brake is not applied. The corresponding position of the bell crank is indicated by the dotted` lines 22a and 23a in Fig. 4 or in the position show-n in full lines in Fig. 2. ln this position the mirror 1s in its lowermost position,

kas shown in F ig. 2, or as shown by dotted lines 30a in Fig. 3. As will be seen from F 3 the incandescent bulb 4'Will illuminate the red lens 5 and the license plate through the glass 8 but the mirror in the position 3021 shuts oil' the light from the upper portion of the casing so that the glasses 12 and 13 and the parking light 33 are not illuminated. In this position any light reflected by the mirror merely aids in the illumination of the lens 5. In the second position, indicated by dotted lines 26", the brake is partially applied Which moves the bell crank to the position indicated bydotted lines 22b and 23 in Fig. 4 thus raising the mirror by means of the rod 27 to the position 30b on the guide rods 18 and 19. ln this position` the incandescent bulb Will illuminate the redv lens 5, the glass 8 and due to the angular position of the mirror the light from the incandescent bulb Will be reflected through the green glass 12 directly above the lens 5. In this position 30b the Lipper edge of the mirror is directly behind the rib 34 sho-Wn in Fig. 1 between" the green light and the stop light so that the portion of the casing above the green light remains dark and light isA shut o from'the parking light 33. Vilhen the brake is ully applied as shown by lfull lines 26 in Fig. 3 the bell crank is in the position shovvn by full lines 22 and 23 in Fig. 4. At this time the mirror 30 is in its uppermost position and the light from the incandescent bulb will not only illuminate the lens 5 and glass 8 but will be rollected by means or" the mirror through the green glass 12 and the stop glass 13 and Will also shine through the transparent parking light 33. lt Will thus be seen that at any position of the mirror the red lens 5 and the glass 8 are illuminated and by applying the brake the mirrorv Will be movedcorrespondingly to reflect the light through the different signals. rlhe cable or cord 24 may be also provided With a portion spliced thereto 'Which may be connected to the emergency brake lever. ln this case when the vehicle is parked the emergency brake is set by means of the lever thus raising the mirror 30 to thehighest position Within the casing and, as the bracket 9 is usually placed on-the rear lett fender a White light Will show through the lens from the forward end or the vehicle, and the lens 5, glass 12'and stop signal 13 will be illuminated and readily seen from the vrear of the vehicle thus providing a parking light. A coiled spring 31 shown in Figs. 2 and 4 is connected to the bottom of the casing and to the arm 2310i the bell crank and returns the bell crank to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 upon'release of the brake pedal thus also moving the mirror 30 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. A switch may be applied to the brake pedal tor daylight driving whereby actuation of the brake pedal lights the electric light to illuminate the proper signal and upon release of the brake pedal the light Will go out. This ment results in a saving of electricity and is desirable for driving in ythe daylight when a tail lamp is not needed 'but for evening driving the tail lampk 4 is alWeyS lighted to show a red light through the lens 5.

From thel foregoing descriptionit beclls evident that the device is very simple and eiiicient in operation, is of companatively'low` manufacturing cost, will not easily get out ol order, is very positive in action provides a device Which accomplishes the objects described.

Having thus fully described my invention, its utility and mode of operation, what lk claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States isfc l. An automobile signal comprisinga casing, having a series of signal lenses .in -alignment therein, an electric light behind @ne lens, an angularly positioned mirror slidably movable behind the remaining lenses,l and means tor moving the mirror to reflect the light through any lens.

2. In an automobile stop signal, a casing, a lens mounted in the casing, an incandescent electric light behind the lens Within the casing, a series of signalsmounted. in the casing, a mirror slidably mounted Within the casing and adapted to reflect the light through the different signals, and n ieas ttor sliding the mirror. i

3. ln an automobile signal, a casing, a red lens, a green lens, and a stop lens mounted in vertical alignment therein, an electric light behind the red lens Within theffnllo, an angularly positionedmirror adapted to be moved vertically of the casing to reflect the electric light through the different lenses, and means for raising or lowering the mirror. f l

4. An automobile signal compris-ing a-cas ing having a series of signal lense-,Sin .align-` ment therein, an incandescent electric bulb adapted to illuminate one of the series of' lenses, a pair ot guide rods Within the casing, an angularly positioned mirror slidably movable on the guide rods, a bell crank iLiifvotally mounted in the casing, a pitman connectin- 1;` the bell crank and mirror, and means. 'for operating the bell crank to move the mirror to position to reflect light from the incandescent bulb through any of the series of lenses.

5. In an automobile signal comprising a casing having a series of signal lenses mount# ed therein, an f incandescent electric bulb adapted to illuminate one of the series of lenses, a guide rod mounted in each side of the casing, an angularly positioned mirror slidably mounted on the guide rods, a bell crank pivotally mounted in the casing, a

pitman connecting the bell crank and mirror, and means connecting the bell crank With the ing a plurality of apertures through which.

light may be projected, a lamp projecting light through one of the apertures, and a relector movable to cause projection of light from another aperture Without aecting the projection of light through the iirst named aperture.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specifica-` tion.

VALTER M. REASON. 

